THE MORRISON FAMILY'S
MUSICAL JOURNEY
THE MORRISON FAMILY'S
MUSICAL JOURNEY
KEYNOTE SESSION
Speakers: James, Harry and William Morrison
Date and time: Thursday 22 May 2025, 3:20pm - 4:10pm
SESSION OVERVIEW
James Morrison is Australia's jazz legend and one of the best-known musicians in the country. He has recorded with The London Symphony Orchestra, rock legends INXS, written the opening fanfare for the Olympic Games, played classical trumpet at the Kremlin, broken a Guinness World Record by conducting the world’s largest orchestra, was a TV presenter on Top Gear Australia, and in 2016, was a guest of former US President, Barack Obama at the White House.
James grew up in a highly musical family, a passion he has passed down to his two sons, Harry and William. Over the past decade, the three Morrison men have been playing together.
Harry and William were never pushed to follow in their dad’s musical footsteps – they simply discovered it themselves. But like anything, when you mix family and work together, you need to set ground rules.
Hear from James, Harry, and William about their experiences in a family band, how they work together and the special bond they’ve developed through their music. It’s a rare opportunity to gain insight into how family dynamics play a role in their creative process and musical achievements.
SPEAKERS
JAMES MORRISON
Musician, The James Morrison Quartet
JAMES MORRISON
Musician, The James Morrison Quartet
James Morrison is, by anybody’s standard, a virtuoso in the true sense of the word. Besides the trumpet, this multi-instrumentalist also plays trombone, piano, saxophone and double bass.
At the age of six he started on piano, at seven he took up brass, at nine he formed his first band and at thirteen he was playing professionally in nightclubs. His international career developed just as quickly with a debut in the USA at the Monterey Jazz Festival at age sixteen.
Following this were performances at the world’s major jazz festivals, including Montreux, North Sea, Nice and the Hollywood Bowl, playing with many of the legends of jazz - Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, George Benson, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Ray Brown and Wynton Marsalis to name a few. James also frequents the world’s most famous jazz clubs – Birdland, The Blue Note and Village Vanguard in New York, the New Morning in Paris, the Tokyo Blue Note and Ronnie Scott’s in London.
James has been appointed a member of The Order of Australia, has won countless awards and has been inducted into the Australian Jazz Hall of Fame. He has received several honorary Doctorates and was an Adjunct Professor at the University of South Australia, leading his own music Academy.
Now 60, James Morrison’s career has included much more than just jazz…
He has recorded with The London Symphony Orchestra, rock legends INXS and the European Brass Ensemble, performed at the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms, written the opening fanfare for the Olympic Games, played for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and for US Presidents Bush and Clinton. He has played classical trumpet at the Kremlin, broken a Guinness record conducting the World’s Largest Orchestra, was TV presenter on Top Gear Australia and in 2016 was a guest of President Obama at the White House.
He’s a pilot, rally driver, sailor, author and even a builder of tiny houseboats…
Harry MORRISON
Musician, The James Morrison Quartet
Harry began his musical journey on the violin at the age of five, switching to cello a year later and electric bass at age twelve. His love of the double bass began when, at age thirteen, he was cast in a musical as a jazz bass player with the Black Swan Theatre Company.
He quickly developed an unmistakable sound on the instrument and became sought after by many of Australia’s top artists, including Kate Ceberano, Mat Jodrell, Emma Pask, James Morrison and Tony Gould. He has also performed with International artists such as Dianne Reeves, Marian Petrescu, Wycliffe Gordon, Jeff Clayton, Troy Roberts to name a few.
Harry has a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts (Hons) from the James Morrison Academy of Music. He was also the recipient of the 2015 Excellence in Performance Award.
He has recorded several albums, including at Abbey Road Studios in London, with Grammy Award winner Patti Austin and on the ARIA ‘Best Jazz Album’ of 2017.
Having toured extensively throughout Australia, Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia, Harry has played with many symphony orchestras and featured in 2016 at the Prague Proms and 2018 at the BBC Proms.
His touring schedule has included dates at Ronnie Scott’s in London, the Green Mill in Chicago, Dizzy’s in New York and performances in Spain, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Singapore, Sth Africa and many more.
In 2019, he will be touring with Grammy Award winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling and performing at International Jazz Day in Melbourne, Australia.
william MORRISON
Musician, The James Morrison Quartet
William started playing violin at the age of five, switching to cello at seven and guitar at age twelve. His passion for jazz was inspired by guitar legend Joe Pass and by the age of fifteen he was working professionally as a jazz guitarist.
Having completed a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance and a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, William now spends his time touring, composing and teaching. A prolific composer, he has won a number of awards, including his piece ‘Connection’ being chosen by the South Australian Government for a nation-‐wide campaign in China.
His touring schedule is no less impressive, with concerts and tours in Spain, Germany, Austria, The UK, USA, China, Prague, Hungary, South Africa, and many more. Recent highlights include the BBC Proms with Dianne Reeves and the BBC Orchestra, headlining at the Newport Jazz Summer Series in California, performances at Dizzy’s in New York, the Green Mill in Chicago and playing on The ARIA ‘Best Jazz Album’ of 2017.
William has worked with many international stars such as Jeff Clayton, Wycliffe Gordon, Gordon Goodwin, Tamir Hendleman, Marian Petrescu, Troy Roberts and recorded with Grammy Award winning vocal legend Patti Austin.
Australian highlights include performances with the Melbourne, Adelaide and West Australian Symphonies, Kate Ceberano, Emma Pask, Don Burrows, Darren Percival and of course his father James Morrison.
The latest release featuring William is entitled ‘Midnight till Dawn’ recorded at Abbey Rd studios in London.
2019 sees William touring with Grammy Award winning vocalist Kurt Elling and performing at International Jazz Day in Melbourne Australia.
all sessions
Explore all the sessions on offer at this year’s Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific. Each session has been thoughtfully crafted to provide you with real-world tools and takeaways for navigating change in the world of family business. Featuring a range of expert keynote presentations, family business stories, interactive workshops and parallel sessions, every session is designed to equip you with strategies to navigate current challenges, embrace future opportunities, and achieve sustained success for your family business.